I managed to fall back asleep and sleep in this morning. It's 11 am and I am still in bed although getting ready to shower and head out for the day to enjoy the beauty here in Bellagio. I wish I was staying here for a week and going down to Nice or Florence. I will need to plan a trip next year.
Yesterday was a really fun day. I dropped my stuff at the hotel and Dave, Patty and I got some coffee. We then jumped on the ferry, took a water taxi and arrived at the Villa Balbianello. The Villa is in Lenno overlooking Lake Como. It was built in 1787 on the site of a Franciscan monastery for the Cardinal Angelo Maria Durini. After the cardinal’s death in 1796 Giuseppe Visconti bought the villa and made improvements to its gardens and the loggia.
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n the nineteenth century the villa belonged to the Porro-Lambertenghi family. By the early twentieth century the buildings had fallen into a state of neglect when an American military officer, Butler Ames, purchased and renovated the villa and its garden. In 1974 it was bought by the explorer Guido Minzino (leader of the first Italian expedition to climb Mount Everest), who filled it with rich collections, including artifacts acquired on his expeditions. Monzino, who died in 1988, left the villa to the National Trust of Italy. A number of movies have used the villa for shooting, including A Month by the Lake (1995), Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones (2002), Ocean's Twelve (2004) and Casino Royale (2006).
I came back to the hotel and had a fabulous lunch that I enjoyed but my tummy didn't like at all. So I took a nap and got settled in. I met Sally at 7 pm at the lobby and we headed to dinner. I met her a day earlier on our boat ride and she was staying over the weekend. Over an amazing dinner, I discovered an inspiring woman who is a physician who is trying to make the world better in the health records arena. She has held some incredible positions in very well known companies. She has lived in Cambodia, Ethiopia and many other countries. Her son and her are now in Geneva where she is heading a major foundation. But what I was impressed most by was her spirit. We just talked about our lives and also about why we were both here.
What I am realizing here, especially with all the people I am meeting, is that I have no clue what I want to do next. The non profit world seems crazier than corporate actually. I am in no rush but it's making me think.
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